# Come brag about your pipe!



## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

I've been reading the "tonight's smoke" forum a lot lately and I figured if we have a thread soley for showing off what we smoke, why can't we have one about what we smoke it in?

I'm pretty new to the hobby of pipe smoking but I came from a family of pipe smokers so I've started off my journey with quite an amazing foundation of pipes available to me. My first "learn the hobby" pipe was a kind of beat up cherrywood my dad gave me but my first "enjoy the hobby" pipe was something really special. It looks like an average briar billiard from afar but its actually an Arlington import. My grandpa was in a pipe shop one time and the guy told him to buy it but at over $100 dollars, he was a bit skeptical. He ended up going back and buying it later that day because he felt quite called to it. A few months later, the arlington briar pipe corp closed and their arlington-branded pipes skyrocketed in price. They sold so well, Arlington branded all their seconds and sold those as well (you can still find some of them on ebay for $60-$70.) To me, its the most beautiful pipe in the world and holds a ton of sentimental value.

So come write a story or put up some pictures about your favorite or your first or your fanciest or whatever good pipe story you have!


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## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

What a nice story. I wish my Dad had smoked a pipe and that it was something we could have shared. My Grandfather smoked a pipe, but unfortunately he died before I was old enough to share the experience with him. I do not have a pipe of his but I do have a pipe rack which I cherish. But stories such as yours are one of the main reasons I have begun to learn the craft of pipe making in earnest. I love the idea of creating something that will be shared and passed down from father to son, BOTL to BOTL. Such objects have a life of their own, IMO and are increasingly rare in our throw it away, get the latest and greatest, keep up with the Joneses, disposable society.


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## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

indigosmoke said:


> Such objects have a life of their own, IMO and are increasingly rare in our throw it away, get the latest and greatest, keep up with the Joneses, disposable society.


Exactly! Every estate pipe from my family I smoke brings back so many memories. I can't smoke my estates with friends or I'll sit and daydream. Reminds you of heritage and history. And my other estates make you think about who the person was that smoked it before you. Like a key to another place and time and person. And brand new ones feel like you're writing a history book everytime you smoke them. You're preserving the art and meaning of pipe smoking with every puff. This is a picture of my first brand new pipe. Its a savinelli second but smokes like heaven. I love the chomped up bit and burned-to-heck bowl rim. And the huge chip right on the front. I was walking around town with the boys rough housing and dropped it on the cement. I sure was annoyed at the time but now I love it. Brings back memories of the old days without any responsibility or any cares in the world I had with those guys.

heres a picture of that savinelli.
(h)(t)(t)(p)://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg577/scaled.php?tn=0&server=577&filename=img2050.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640
take the parenthesis off the beginning.


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

My favourite pipe (so far) is a rather unassuming Barling. Not Pre-Transition, not even Transition. Not "Ye Olde Wood". It is marked as "T.V.F" ( The Very Finest) but in the Post-Transition days this counted for little. Just a plain old Barling sand-blast billiard. Bought as an estate pipe with a big hole bitten through one side of the bit. Nice looking, dark, hard wood, but not really special.

Nothing to brag about you'd say. But it smokes like no other. Given a few days rest between uses and you can guarantee dry, cool smoke. The tobacco (Louisiana Flake or occasionally Players Navy Cut) burns slower and more steadily than in any other of my pipes. Considering the rather lowly provenance and standard design I put it all down to luck of the draw in the selection of the wood. 

I have and have had some other rather fine pipes (or at least ones that ought to be fine - don't get me started on modern Dunhills) but the difference is astonishing. I look forward to the turn of this pipe in my rotation eagerly. But the drying out period does need to be observed or the result is less than satisfactory. Patience is indeed its own reward.


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## Granger (Jul 24, 2010)

To pick a favorite of all my "Children" would be difficult...I have several I love, but I also have too many and I realize that there are only a few that, mean a lot to me. I can't name one, so here goes a few.

1) My grandfather's Porcelain Pipe. He always smoked these, and bough new ones regularly. He passed me a few, but there is one that I smoke regularly. It is sentimental.

2) My favorite Briar is my Dad's Triple B. I love this pipe and it is full of memories.

3) My 9mm Meer, no name on it, that turned me onto filter smoking and got me out of a smoking rut.

4) My Masonic Pipe. After I was raised my wife presented me with this beautiful Meerschaum Pipe. It is a slightly bent Dublin (Kinda) and it is intricately carved all around with Masonic symbols. It is gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. I wanted to display it (and it does sit out on its own stand), but my wife said this pipe is for smoking, not looking, so I take it with me to all Lodge functions. Later after I joined the Scottish Rite and the Shrine pipes for those came along as well, but the Masonic Pipe is my favorite. It is the most elaborately carved Meer I own that is not "just for looking" But is also means a good deal to me. All of the men in my family are Freemasons, and when I was raised they were all there. My wife had sent this gift along with my father so he could present it to me.

It also smokes GREAT! Odd side note, it is a 9mm pipe, but it had an adapter in it. I did not know it until about three weeks ago when I was cleaning it. I looked at the tenon and noticed how much it looked like a Viking Classic I own when its adapter was inserted. I played with it...and sure enough the adapter popped out!


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## Gigmaster (Jan 12, 2009)

My 'favorite' pipe right now is a Block Meerschaum 1/2 bent with a basket-weave pattern. It is starting to color nicely. I bought it on EBay direct from the carver in Turkey for around $15.00 + shipping.

But most of the time, I'll have a Missouri Meerschaum (corn cob, for the uninitiated) stuck in my mouth. They are just good, no-frills, no-nonsense smoking tools. You can smoke it, dump the bowl out, run a pipe cleaner through the stem and around the bowl, re-load with a different tobacco, and light-up again, all without even letting the pipe cool off. They cost a pittance (sometimes my tobacco costs more than the pipe), and if you break it, drop it in the river, or lose it....no big deal. Spend another couple of dollars and get another one. You can afford several spares. Anyone can afford a corn cob.

My first pipe was a Missouri Meerschaum. I bought it when I was 12 (back in the days when anyone could buy tobacco) at the local drugstore, and I smoked Borkum Riff White Label tobacco. I learned to smoke by trial and error, while I was out fishing, or just running around in the woods (in the days when we kids made our own entertainment...). I never had a briar until I was in the Marines, and I bought an Eric Norden Freehand, from a real Smoke Shop near Camp Lejune, in the late 60s. I still have it. My next pipe was after I became a Master Mason. It is a 1/4 bent Meerschaum, with the Masonic Emblem beautifully carved into the front of the bowl. It has colored very well, and continues to do so.

I have around 12 pipes of different kinds in my collection, but I am still a hard-core Missouri Meerschaum smoker, and probably always will be.


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## Gigmaster (Jan 12, 2009)

I neglected to mention one other pipe that I smoke frequently, and am quite fond of. When I was in Rabat, Morocco I bought a Narghile (Water Pipe, or Hookah) in a small shop, and learned to smoke the Middle Eastern-style Shisha tobacco. I still indulge every so often. It has a beautiful amber-colored glass reservoir, with exquisite brass fittings, and two hoses. It smokes wonderful, especially with my favorite Jewels Double Apple blend.


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## gibson_es (Jan 23, 2010)

I have 4 pipes only. One is a savinelli alligator, its my favorite to smoke in. Best friend (cigolle) got it for me as a gift. 1 is a MM corn con. No history to it. But I guess im making one. The other two are not smomable yet. I am sopose to send them off to a fellow BOTL here but I have been so busy I have been unable to do so yet. I have no clue as to what they are. But they were my great grandfathers pile. One owich still has his last smoke in it before he doied. He did in the late 80's so there at least 20+ years old.


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## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

Wow I love those two older ones Blake. They have a lot of character!


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## gibson_es (Jan 23, 2010)

Thank you. I can't wait to have them redone. And start smoking from them. Im still tryingto fours out what thy are. The one with a stem says finsbury II imported briar. I assume that the 'II' beans its a second, lime one that had imporfections or something.... and after many ofhours lookingaround all I found was an unsited phrase that said it MIGHT be bases in NY. The otherpipe has no stem, and only has "MADE IN LONDON ENGLEND" ON THE SIDE. im trying to match the second one up to something but everypipe I have found that made in england had the brand name on he other side if the stem. This doesn't. I have to find out what company only put the made in london england on there pipes....


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## lbiislander (Oct 15, 2010)

karatekyle said:


> Exactly! Every estate pipe from my family I smoke brings back so many memories. I can't smoke my estates with friends or I'll sit and daydream. Reminds you of heritage and history. And my other estates make you think about who the person was that smoked it before you. Like a key to another place and time and person. And brand new ones feel like you're writing a history book everytime you smoke them. You're preserving the art and meaning of pipe smoking with every puff. This is a picture of my first brand new pipe. Its a savinelli second but smokes like heaven. I love the chomped up bit and burned-to-heck bowl rim. And the huge chip right on the front. I was walking around town with the boys rough housing and dropped it on the cement. I sure was annoyed at the time but now I love it. Brings back memories of the old days without any responsibility or any cares in the world I had with those guys.
> 
> heres a picture of that savinelli.
> (h)(t)(t)(p)://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg577/scaled.php?tn=0&server=577&filename=img2050.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640
> take the parenthesis off the beginning.


Bea-u-ti-ful. Looked reddish on my monitor. Is it?


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## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

lbiislander said:


> Bea-u-ti-ful. Looked reddish on my monitor. Is it?


Yep. The briar is bottom of the barrel stuff so they dunked it in about 1000 layers of cherry laquer to make it look half decent haha.


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## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

This is a newer pipe of mine. Been smoking it a lot lately. Puffs like a dream! Love it. Check out the review on it here.


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## NoShhhSherlock (Mar 30, 2011)

Nice pipes! ipe:


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## Natedogg (Jun 21, 2010)

My favorite right now is this OOM Paul I got from Dave in a trade. I can't get a decent pic of it that shows its size, but here's a pic that Dave had posted of it:










It doesn't have a name, and there are some manufacturing mistakes on it, but I love it. The bowl will hold 3 flakes of IF, and if you're past half don't even attempt a re-light because it's so deep. It smokes great though. My wife calls me 'gramps' when I smoke it.

My other favorite is a manufacturers second that I got new and re-finished. I thought I had ruined it when I refinished it but I went back to it a couple of weeks ago and it smokes great again. It's a great smoker and I just can't put it down.


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## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

Whoa! Natedogg, I don't think I've seen one quite like that. Very unique!!


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## NoShhhSherlock (Mar 30, 2011)

Not as fancy as some on here but I figured why not brag about them right? Just two briars I have.
One is a small chelsea Pipe I use for quick bowls, and the other is an old willard. Not much really but all I have right now. Maybe later on I can expand into something worthwhile.


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## BrSpiritus (Apr 9, 2009)

I guess I'm really lucky because I have pipes from 3 generations of my family. In this picture are 2 frank pipes that belonged to my Great-Grandfather. Both date from 1920ish, the top one is marked Tidewater and is still an everyday smoker for me, the bottom one is a campus type short smoke pipe that I only use occasionally but it still has it's original case.










Now the picture below is a mix of pipes that belonged to my father, grandfather and ones I bought. Starting from the top and moving left to right: Peterson Churchwarden (me), Savinelli Bing's Favorite (me), Velani Ambassador (Grandfather), Unknown Smooth billiard Meerschaum (Grandfather), Peterson Kildare (Grandfather), GBD Canadian (Dad), IRC Savinelli 620 (me), Unknown Meer (Grandfather), Brigham Voyageur Pot (me).










The last picture is of a meerschaum cavalier that belonged to my grandfather. I know he bought it around 1971 and the inside of the case is marked "Ural" other than that I don't know much more about it.










I feel like I am touching the past and connecting with family members long lost everytime I smoke one of these pipes.


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## DSturg369 (Apr 6, 2008)

My Dad smoked cigarettes, cigars, and pipes at one pint. About the time my younger brother was born in 1971, he quit smoking altogether but kept these pipes... Luckily for me. He smoked these pipes while stationed through 2 tours of duty in Korea and 3 tours in Vietnam, while in the US Army. My Dad returned Home to our Lord in 2001. Searching through his belongings after he passed, I came across the pipes in his shop. They are Medico Crest series, and the Bulldog is a great smoker. I cleaned them up a little and they are the most prized pipes I now have in my collection.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

DSturg369 said:


> They are Medico Crest series, and the Bulldog is a great smoker. I cleaned them up a little and they are the most prized pipes I now have in my collection.


Wow! Just like my father's pipes! He had those Medico filter jobs too!

Thanks for the photo!


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## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

Dang guys, nice pipes. I love looking at pipes. They're like art. They are all so similar but yet soo very unique. The all have a bowl and a stem but such different personalities and lives.


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

Here's one for you that isn't quite standard. Still a bowl and a stem, but a complete redesign of these essentials. JIMA. French made system pipe. Plastic shell housing a ceramic bowl with cooling space between. Metal cooling ring (also an indicator if you are smoking too fast, they say). Metal frame supporting the bit with a removable cooling tube and replaceable "electrostatic" filter (just a coil of metal to my untrained eyes). I found them to be a revelation. Cool, dry smoke; burns clean to the last shed of tobacco; no need to rest or even cool between fills. No possibility of burning through. Ideal for when you are out and about. They come in quite a few colours and finishes (even velour...). Cheap and quite plentiful on eBay and such. I got three unsmoked for about USD10 each (from France). I can't post pictures as yet, but images are common on t'internet. Well worth a try in my opinion. Ugly though...


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

It's always interesting to think about what the pipes you smoke have "seen". I have several in my collection which have military connections; some carved with details of the POW camps from the First and Second World Wars, some with regimental insignia. One is roughly incised with town and battle names from the Tunisian Campaign in WWII. I didn't notice the marks until I set about polishing it. I though it was just a bit knocked about; damn my failing eyesight! Luckily I didn't polish them out before I noticed. They are an interesting (at least to me) link to history; I remember and honour the (unknown to me) person who carried it through his trials. Just hope he was on the winning side...


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## mmiller (Nov 17, 2011)

karatekyle said:


> es a picture of that savinelli.
> (h)(t)(t)(p)://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg577/scaled.php?tn=0&server=577&filename=img2050.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640
> take the parenthesis off the beginning.


Wait a second Kyle....You own a bent pipe?? When did this happen? :lol:


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## Chris0673 (Aug 20, 2012)

I only have 3 pipes at the moment. 2 MM cobs and a Dr. Grabow briar. So far I'm diggin the cobs. I just the Grabow for work because it's smaller and I can go through a bowl in about 20-30 minutes. All three smoke well...though I don't really have much to compare to!


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## NovaBiscuit (Jun 14, 2012)

The pipes I'm most proud of were gifted to me by people here on Puff  The first was a Savinelli Antique Shell straight billiard that a certain person (who wants to remain anonymous) sent me. The other is a MM Cob sent to be my Jobes2007. Genuine MMs are oddly hard to find where I live  Both showed me what I was missing in the cheap pipes I had before.


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